A compilation of ten vegan Indian curries that are ready in 75 minutes or less.
Hey I'm back with my compilation of 10. And this time it is Curry!!
It is obvious that being Indian, I love my curry. There is nothing more comforting than a bowl of curry on a cold night. Curry can be made with poultry, seafood and meat or it can be made with simple vegetarian and vegan ingredients. Today I am listing down 10 of my favorite vegan Indian curries from the blog. Hope you enjoy it!!
A vegan curry made by simmering mushrooms in a fragrant garlic and fenugreek flavored masala gravy. This curry is unique in fragrance and flavor because of the slightly bitter methi leaves.
There had to be one curry in the list that was made purely of Spinach. While the Palak Paneer is the most popular spinach curry out there, this one uses Mushrooms instead of Paneer, making it vegan friendly and popular among mushroom lovers. The mushroom also adds loads of flavor to the curry.
Koftas are generally balls made of meat that are added to curries. However, here the koftas are made of bottle gourd. If you don't have bottle gourd, replace it with Zucchini which is the closest to it in texture.
My most pinned recipe - South Indian Chana Masala. There are 2 versions of the popular Chana Masala made with boiled chickpeas - the North Indian one that is made with tomatoes and is more easily available in restaurants all over the world and the South Indian one that is made with coconut and is only available in South India.
Baby Corn Masala is a semi dry curry made by tossing stir fried Baby Corn in a North Indian style tomato masala gravy. Easy and very quick to make, this will be ready in less than an hour.
This curry from the beautiful region of Coorg in South India. And like all South Indian curries, this one has a coconut base. This curry is a mix of sweet, salty and spicy flavors.
Jalfrezi is a popular curry made with tomatoes and a mix of vegetables. You can add Paneer to the curry if you are making a non-vegan version. For vegans, add some fried tofu to take it to another level.
If you tried these recipes, let me know! Leave a comment here or on Facebook, tag your tweet with @oneteaspoonlife on Twitter and don't forget to tag your photo #oneteaspoonoflife on Instagram. You can also email me at onetspoflife@gmail.com. I'd love to see what you are upto. If you like these recipes, do not forget to share it with your friends and family!
Vegan Eggplant Curry made by simmering sauteed eggplant in a spicy coconut gravy.
It was today, 12 years ago that I stepped foot into the Corporate jungle. My first day at my first job. A job I had waited 1.5 years to join, a long wait. A special day in the life of a young Engineer.
It was also special for another reason. It was the day I met Raj. We've known each other for 12 years, starting from that day. 12 years is a long time to know someone. You tend to learn every annoying little detail there is, every story has been told, there are no skeletons left in the cupboard. When I predict he will do something to the "T", he thinks I'm guessing, but I know him so well that I don't need to guess anymore. There is comfort in knowing someone so well, there is warmth in trusting a person so much.
These two feelings of comfort and warmth are echoed in today's curry. A good curry is like a warm hug from inside. It is supposed to make you feel at home, it is supposed to make you smile for no reason at all. It is supposed to make you feel like you are in your pajamas even when you are dressed to impress. It is supposed to be something you cannot resist taking another helping of. This Eggplant Coconut Curry is all that, and more!
This Eggplant Coconut Curry is made by first sauteing roughly diced eggplant in coconut oil until they are brown and soft. Then a gravy is made by adding coconut milk to sauteed onion and tomato puree. Spices, a lot of them are added to flavor the curry. The curry is finished off in true Indian style with a tempering or "tadka" of mustard seeds and curry leaves. Garnish with sliced almonds and the quintessential coriander leaves. You can use pine nuts or cashew nuts too. This is just an indulgent step and skipping it will not affect the flavor of your dish.
This curry is simple if you know your way around in the kitchen. If not, I have a quick video to help you out. This Eggplant Curry is vegan. It can be made gluten free by skipping the asafoetida. It can also be easily doubled or tripled and is perfect for a large family gathering. It requires barely any prep too.
The Eggplant Curry uses a mix of different spices like fennel powder, coriander powder, cumin powder and garam masala. If you don't have all of them, just use what you have, or use your favorite Indian spice blend or curry powder.
Serve the curry with roti, naan or jeera rice like I did.
If you made this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment here or on Facebook, tag your tweet with @oneteaspoonlife on Twitter and don't forget to tag your photo #oneteaspoonoflife on Instagram. You can also email me at onetspoflife@gmail.com. I'd love to see what you are upto.
If you like this recipe, do not forget to share it with your friends and family!
1 large Eggplant (bharta baingan) 1 cup Coconut Milk 1 large Onion 2 medium Tomato 1 tsp Ginger Garlic Paste 1 tbsp Fennel Powder 1 tsp Coriander Powder 1 tsp Cumin Powder 1 tsp Red Chilli Powder 0.5 tsp Turmeric Powder 0.5 tsp Garam Masala A pinch of Asafoetida (Hing) 3 Tbsp Coconut Oil 0.5 tsp Mustard seeds 8-10 Curry leaves Salt to taste 0.5 cup Water Sliced almonds to garnish (Optional) Handful of Coriander leaves
Method:
1. Dice the eggplant into small pieces. 2. Heat 1 Tbsp coconut oil in a pan and add the diced eggplant. 3. Add salt to taste and saute the eggplant until it is cooked. Remove and keep aside. 4. Puree the onion and tomato separately. 5. Heat 1 Tbsp coconut oil in a pan and add the pureed onion. 6. Add the ginger garlic paste and saute until the onion browns slightly. 7. Add the pureed tomato and cook until the liquid evaporates. 8. Add all the spice powders and mix well. 9. Add 0.5 cup of water and simmer on low heat until for 4-5 minutes. 10. Add the coconut milk, salt to taste and the sauteed eggplant. Mix well and simmer on low heat for 4-5 minutes. 11. Heat the remaining oil in a different pan. Add the mustard seeds and allow them to splutter. 12. Once the mustard splutters, add the curry leaves and remove from heat. 13. Add this tempering to the curry. 14. Garnish the curry with sliced almonds and chopped coriander leaves. 15. Serve hot with roti or rice.
Pan fried okra cooked in a curry made with pickle spices and yogurt.
There are 2 kinds of people in the world, one who love Okra or Bhindi and one that wouldn't be caught dead eating it. I was a latter, I hated bhindi all through my childhood - I mean which kid really enjoys the slime? Until about 5 years ago, when I had run out of veggies to cook for the day, I picked up some fresh bhindi and decided I could try to convert the hate to at least a tolerable feeling. Frankly, all I needed to do that was learn how to cook the okra correctly. See my tips below.
I have the following tips to cook the okra, just right:
The first tip for cooking okra, if you don't like slime, is to never cover it while cooking. Cook the okra in an open pan, always.
Preferably use a flat pan and do not crowd it. A wok or a kadhai, ends up steaming a few pieces of okra at least, and when steamed, okra tends to get slimy.
Be liberal with the oil. If cooking on a stove, use sufficient oil. The oil helps make the okra crispy and stops it from steaming. If you want to use less oil, grill the okra in a pan in the oven. This recipe tastes equally delicious with grilled okra.
Cook okra on medium to high heat stirring regularly. Okra cooked in low heat, again, tends to get slimy.
Avoid adding water to the okra while cooking. Okra loves oil, let it cook in oil alone. Don't add any water or any ingredients that may leave their juices (like tomatoes) until the okra is almost cooked.
Once I had mastered the art of cooking okra, there was no turning back. I've made okra innumerable times since then, and loved it.
This Achari Bhindi Dahiwali translates simply into Pickled Okra in Yogurt. This curry uses the pickling spices used in North Indian pickles. While the okra is not pickled, it is cooked with a spice blend made inspired by the pickles. Pickle spices usually include - fennel seeds (saunf), carom seeds (ajwain), mustard seeds (rai), fenugreek seeds (methi dana), asafoetida (hing) and dried mango powder (amchur). I have reduced the quantity of fenugreek seeds as they are bitter in taste.
To make this recipe vegan, use vegan yogurt like cashew yogurt or coconut yogurt.
To make Achari Bhindi Dahiwali, we first slice the okra lengthwise. You can chop it how you please, lengthwise just made it visually appealing to me. The okra is pan fried with oil. I've made it before by grilling the okra in the oven, the curry tastes the same and uses a lot less oil.
Then the gravy is made by cooking onions and tomatoes with the pickling spices and blending it. Whisked yogurt is added to the gravy to finish it off. Toss in the cooked okra and serve it hot with rotis.
If you made this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment here or on Facebook, tag your tweet with @oneteaspoonlife on Twitter and don't forget to tag your photo #oneteaspoonoflife on Instagram. You can also email me at onetspoflife@gmail.com. I'd love to see what you are upto.
If you like this recipe, do not forget to share it with your friends and family!
25 small Okra (bhindi) 1 Onion 1 Tomato 1 cup Yogurt (dahi) 4 Tbsp Oil 1 tsp Ginger Garlic Paste 0.5 tsp Turmeric Powder 1 tsp Red Chilli Powder 0.5 tsp Cumin Seeds 1 tbsp Fennel Seeds (Saunf) 1 tsp Mustard Seeds 1 tsp Carom seeds (Ajwain) 4-5 Fenugreek Seeds (Methi dana) 1 tsp Dry Mango Powder (Amchur) Pinch of Asafoetida (Hing) Handful of Coriander leaves Salt to taste
Method:
1. Dry roast the fennel seeds, mustard seeds, carom seeds and fenugreek seeds. 2. Grind them to a fine powder along with the asafoetida and the dry mango powder. Keep aside. 3. Heat 2 Tbsp Oil in a flat pan and add the chopped bhindi to it. Saute until the bhindi are soft and cooked. Never cover the bhindi while cooking, it will tend to get slimy. Remove and keep aside. 4. Heat 1 Tbsp Oil in the same pan and add the ginger garlic paste. 5. Once the ginger-garlic is fragrant, add finely chopped onions and fry until translucent. 6. Add in chopped tomato and stir well. 7. Mix in the achari spice blend we made earlier along with salt and turmeric powder and cook until the tomatoes are soft. 8. Blend into a fine paste with little water once cooled slightly. 9. Heat the remaining oil in a pan and add the cumin seeds. 10. Once they brown slightly, add the blended paste and cook on low heat for 4-5 minutes. 11. Stir in whisked yogurt and red chilli powder. Adjust seasoning if required. Cook for 2-3 minutes on low heat. 12. Add the pan fried bhindi and mix well. Simmer for 4-5 minutes. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with rotis.
Spaghetti made from zucchini tossed in a spicy roasted red pepper sauce with pan fried vegan lentil meatballs.
So Summer is pretty much out of here. The fruits are going off the shelves. And pretty soon, so will the veggies. So I wanted to use up some gorgeous summer zucchini before it goes out and this Zucchini Pasta definitely improved my mood, and let's hope, my health too.
I am a stress eater. I wish I was the other kinda of person who feel no hunger when stressed, aka Gee. But unfortunately, I am drawn to food when I am stressed. Just yesterday, I downed 2 aloo parathas with so much butter. I was in a buttery heaven but I definitely bid goodbye to my diet.
Recently I have been under quite a bit of stress. I also read somewhere that STEM careers are in the top of careers that cause a burn out in women along with medicine and journalism. So it's an accepted piece of the job. But all that stress is making me crave carbs - bread, rice, pasta. Just give it to ME!
So today, I was very reasonable. I cheated my stressed inner foodie. I had Quinoa Tava Pulao for lunch where I took this recipe and replaced the white rice with quinoa. Just healthifying my lunch. But that wasn't enough and I did it again for dinner. But honestly, I'm very happy, cause I did not miss my carbs at all.
So my dinner today is this ah-mazing Vegan Pasta where the pasta is actually just fine strips of zucchini. I don't own a spiralizer, so I just use my potato peeler to make fine ribbons of zucchini and then I cut it into thin strips with a sharp knife. This pasta done not really need to be cooked, I just tossed it in hot sauce and let the heat from the sauce soften it slightly. I have been considering investing in a good spiralizer for some time, so if you have suggestions on which product is good, leave me a comment. It will be really appreciated.
The sauce - well, you can use ANY sauce you want when it comes to Pasta. But I LOVED this roasted red pepper sauce. And it is so simple. I wouldn't say quick, unless your roasted pepper came out of a bottle. But roasting your own peppers is not difficult at all. I rubbed the gorgeous red peppers with some good olive oil and roasted them in the oven. Keep turning them once in a while so that it chars throughout. Once you remove them from the oven, cover the peppers and keep aside for some time. Covering makes it very easy to peel. I just removed the peel and the stalk and seeds. I left the char on the pepper as is, cause I love the smokiness it adds to the sauce. Once you are done roasting all you do is cook it with some onions and garlic and blend it into a sauce. Add oregano or thyme for added taste. I kept it simple and just added red chilli flakes for heat.
The star of this dish is really the vegan meatballs made from red lentils, chickpeas and walnuts. It is so delicious, I'd suggest you make a lot more than what the recipe calls for. The below recipe made around 10 and I can tell you they were not enough. I could eat them just like a snack with tea. So take my advice and make more. You won't hate it. This is the only part of the meal that needs some planning. Especially since you have to soak dried chickpeas. While you could use canned one, the soaked dried ones give more texture to the meatballs, much like falafels. The flax egg, is optional if you are frying the meatballs, but they definitely made it moist. So I'd recommend it. You can also bake the meatballs.
Finally just toss everything together and enjoy guilt-free!
If you made this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment here or on Facebook, tag your tweet with @oneteaspoonlife on Twitter and don't forget to tag your photo #oneteaspoonoflife on Instagram. You can also email me at onetspoflife@gmail.com. I'd love to see what you are upto. If you like this recipe, do not forget to share it with your friends and family!
0.5 cup dried Red Lentils 0.5 cup dried Chickpeas 1 Tbsp Flax seeds 4 Walnuts 4 Garlic Cloves 1 small Onion 1 Tbsp Flour 0.5 tsp Paprika 0.5 tsp Garlic Powder 2 tsp Oil Salt to taste Water as required Oil to fry the meatballs
For the Roasted Pepper Sauce
3 Red Peppers (capsicum) 1 small Onion 4-5 Garlic Cloves 1 Tbsp Red Chilli Flakes 1.5 Tbsp Olive Oil 1 tsp Sugar (Optional) Salt to taste Water as required
For the Zucchini Spaghetti
2 medium Zucchini (around 6")
Method:
To make the Lentil Meatballs:
1. Soak the dried chickpeas in water for 8 hours. 2. Wash the dried red lentils and soak them in water for 30 minutes. 3. Heat 4 cups of water in a pan and allow it to come to a rolling boil. 4. Drain the lentils and add to the boiling water. 5. Cover and cook until the lentils are cooked through. Drain out the excess water and keep the lentil aside to cool. 6. Coarsely grind the walnuts. 7. Drain the chickpeas and coarsely grind them. 8. Grind the flax seeds into a powder. Mix in 2 Tbsp of water and keep aside. 9. Saute finely chopped garlic and finely chopped onion in 2 tsp olive oil until the onions are translucent. 10. Once the lentils have cooled, add the walnuts, ground chickpeas, sauteed onions and garlic, garlic powder, paprika, flour and salt and mix well. 11. Chill for 2 hours or freeze for 30 minutes. If the batter is still very wet to form balls, add a spoonful of flour or breadcrumbs. 12. Divide the batter into 10 equal parts and roll into balls using your palms. 13. Take a shallow pan and add oil to it. Once the oil is hot, add the meatballs. 14. Keep turning the meatballs when one side browns. Continue to cook until the entire meatball is browned. 15. You can also bake the meatballs.
To make the Roasted Pepper Sauce:
1. Preheat the oven to 200 degree C. 2. Coat the red peppers with 0.5 tbsp of olive oil. 3. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes. Turn the peppers after every 10 minutes. 4. Remove the peppers from the oven and place in a bowl. Cover and keep aside. 5. Once the peppers have cooled, peel the peppers and remove the stalk and the seeds. Chop roughly and keep aside. 6. Heat the remaining oil in a pan. 7. Crush the garlic and chop them roughly. Add the garlic to the pan. 8. Once the garlic is fragrant, add finely chopped onion and fry until translucent. 9. Add the red pepper and mix well. 10. Add the red chilli flakes, salt and 0.5 cup of water. 11. Cook until the water reduces. 12. Remove from heat and allow to cool. 13. Grind into a smooth puree with little water. 14. Add the puree back to the pan and allow it to heat up. 15. Add more salt, paprika or sugar if required at this stage depending on your taste. 16. You can store this sauce in a clean glass jar in the fridge for 2-3 days after it cools.
To make the Zucchini Spaghetti and assembling:
1. Use a spiralizer to make zucchini spaghetti or slice the zucchini into fine strips. 2. Heat up the roasted red pepper sauce. 3. Add the zucchini to the sauce and mix well. Leave it on the heat for 2-3 minutes until the zucchini is cooked to your liking. 4. Add the meatballs and mix well. 5. You can top the pasta with parmesan. 6. Serve hot with crusty bread.
A vegan curry made by simmering mushrooms in a fragrant garlic and fenugreek flavored masala gravy.
Do you all have a case of Monday blues? I definitely do, a very strong one. I would love if there were no Mondays. I'm just back from a long weekend, so Monday blues were a lot stronger yesterday. But there was one shining hour that kinda got me out of it. We had potluck at work today and what a blast it was. I took Pani Puri and while it was tasty and all, it is so difficult to carry in a bus. I had to double pack my puris so they would be intact by the time I reached in the bus. Every little hump and bump on the road freaked me out. Luckily, none broke. So hey, all's well that ends well.
I also learnt some very interesting recipes that my friends got, that I hope I can recreate for you guys pretty soon!
Also, can you guys believe its been more than a month that I shared a curry recipe? I checked, it's true. I'm such a curry person, that it surprised me. I've been so lost in making Tofu and cooking with Tofu, like this Chilli Tofu that I shared last week, that I'd completely left the curry train.
So today I present to you - Lahsuni Methi Mushroom. This literally translates to Garlic Fenugreek Mushroom, so you understand what's the dominant flavor here. This recipe is inspired from Prash's Lahsuni Methi Paneer. I loved the idea of adding coconut milk over cream. It kept the recipe rich yet surprisingly light and non greasy.
If you love garlic, this curry has a strong potential to become you favorite. For once, don't count the cloves of garlic you add. The more the merrier in this case. So garlic is the first dominant flavor here and it is something all of us are familiar with and have easy access to.
The second dominant flavor here is Methi Leaves or Fenugreek leaves. This is easily available in India and probably the middle east where it is used in cooking. However, this may be a little tricky to find in the rest of the world. If you cannot find fresh fenugreek leaves, use dried ones. Dry methi leaves are sold as "Kasuri Methi" and should be available in Indian stores. Since the dried leaves are more potent in taste, use half the quantity and add more later if required. You can also replace methi leaves with any other herb that is fragrant.
Lastly, if you don't eat mushrooms, you can make the same curry with potatoes, cauliflower, paneer or tofu.
If you made this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment here or on Facebook, tag your tweet with @oneteaspoonlife on Twitter and don't forget to tag your photo #oneteaspoonoflife on Instagram. You can also email me at onetspoflife@gmail.com. I'd love to see what you are upto. If you like this recipe, do not forget to share it with your friends and family!
A vegan curry made by simmering mushrooms in a fragrant garlic and fenugreek flavored masala gravy.
Recipe Type:Main Cuisine:North Indian Prep Time:10 minutes Cook time:40 minutes Total time:50 minutes Yield:Serves 2
Ingredients:
200 gms Mushrooms 12 cloves Garlic 1.5 cups Methi leaves, loosely packed 0.5 cups Coconut Milk 1 Onion 1 Tomato 0.5 tsp Garam Masala 0.5 tsp Turmeric Powder 1 tsp Red Chilli Powder 3 Tbsp Oil Salt to taste Water as required
Method:
1. Clean the mushroom and cut them in half or quarters. 2. Chop 10 of the garlic cloves finely. 3. Roughly chop the methi leaves. 4. Heat 1.5 Tbsp oil in a pan and add the finely chopped garlic. 5. Once the garlic is fragrant, add finely chopped onion and fry until it is translucent. 6. Add finely chopped tomato and half of the methi leaves. Cook until the tomatoes are soft. 7. Add turmeric powder, red chilli powder and salt and cook for 1 minute. 8. Remove from heat and keep aside. 9. Once it is cool, grind to a fine paste using little water. 10. Heat 1 Tbsp of oil and add the garam masala to it. 11. Immediately add the ground paste. Cook for 3-4 minutes. 12. Add the coconut milk, mushrooms and remaining methi leaves. 13. Cover and cook for 4-5 minutes until the mushrooms are cooked. 14. If the curry is too thick, add more coconut milk. Adjust the salt as required. 15. Slice the remaining 2 cloves of garlic and fry in 0.5 Tbsp oil and top the curry with it. 16. Serve hot with rotis.
Delicious vegan spinach and mushroom curry that can be cooked up in no time at all. Healthy and tasty!
How has the week been for you guys? Remember, when I told you how awesome last week was? Well, this week's been kinda okay in comparison. I've been alone at home this week with Raj on a long forced vacation. He had to take 2 weeks off work as per company policy and so he did. He is right now spending time with his parents and sis at their house and I'm all set to travel there today. So while he's away I've been watching endless reruns of "Small Wonder". You remember that show? The show is literally as old as me. But I'm loving the simplicity of the show and it is just plain cute. I miss TV of the 90's. Right now there is barely a series on TV that I can watch without wanting to flip channels.
Back to today's recipe. So when Raj is away or skipping a meal, I only have one thing on my mind - Mushrooms!! The man won't eat mushrooms and it is super boring when I have to cook different things for him and me. So I use the few chances I get to hoard up on Mushrooms. I love Mushrooms and I love Spinach, so what's not to love in a marriage of the two.
While I'm utterly disappointed with my photos for this recipe, I really could not seem to get a good delicious picture. I know I tried, I added props, removed props, changed backgrounds, but nothing seemed to work. But I did not want to keep myself from sharing this recipe, so forgive the photos. It tastes much better than it looks.
So this is actually a very simple vegan curry. It starts by making the spinach puree. There are no filters in the photos, the spinach gravy is really that green. And I'm going to share my secret of How to make the vibrant green gravy
Never ever cover spinach while it is cooking or while it is hot. That's it! Cook spinach in a open pan always.
First boil the water, add the spinach and let it bubble for 4-5 minutes, then remove the pan from heat and let it rest for another 3-4 minutes.
Drain out the spinach and dunk it immediately in cold water. The spinach has to cool down before you move on.
Once the spinach is at room temperature or cooler, puree it. You can add ginger, garlic or green chillies while pureeing the spinach.
Now you have the vibrant green gravy. You will be cooking the spinach again, along with the mushrooms in this case, keep in mind to never cover the spinach, else you will lose the vibrancy.
Also to store this curry, allow the spinach to cool to room temperature before closing the pan/box, so that the color is retained.
If you made this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment here or on Facebook, tag your tweet with @oneteaspoonlife on Twitter and don't forget to tag your photo #oneteaspoonoflife on Instagram. You can also email me at onetspoflife@gmail.com. I'd love to see what you are upto. If you like this recipe, do not forget to share it with your friends and family!
150 gms Button Mushrooms 300 gms Spinach (3 cups) 2 tsp Oil 0.5 tsp Cumin seeds 1 tsp finely chopped Garlic 1-2 finely chopped Green Chillies Salt to taste Water as required
Method:
1. Heat water in a large pot or pan. 2. Once the water comes to a rolling boil, add washed spinach to it. 3. Allow the water to bubble for 4-5 minutes without covering the pan. 4. Remove from heat and allow to rest for 3-4 minutes. 5. Drain the spinach and submerge it in cold water or wash it with cold water until the spinach comes to room temperature or cooler. 6. Grind the spinach into a puree along with the garlic and green chillies. Keep aside. 7. Clean and halve the mushrooms. 8. Heat oil in a pan and add the mushrooms. 9. Add a little salt and allow the mushrooms to sweat. 10. Once the mushrooms are cooked to your liking, add the spinach puree and simmer for 5 minutes. 11. Add salt to taste and mix well. 12. Serve hot with phulka or rotis. 13. To store the Mushroom Palak for later and not lose the vibrant color of the spinach, allow the curry to cool to room temperature and only then cover it and store in fridge
